Tsai Ing-wen’s second inaugural message on May 20 was a dangerous one, reinforcing the notion that the island is already de facto independent and willing to be a geopolitical chess piece for the United States.

The United States is clearly trying to leverage the island to its advantage against Beijing. But the matter is so sensitive that it could trigger a confrontation. It has already eroded trust and reduced the space for effective crisis management.

A popular view in China is that more nuclear weapons would garner respect from the international community. But it may only inspire fear, which would be counterproductive.

Not long ago, China and the United States built mutual trust in suppressing infectious diseases. It’s time to renew and strengthen those mechanisms, not abandon them.

The South China Sea has seen an uptick in maritime showdown in recent months. The upshot is a dangerous, multifaceted Cold War just when the world needs maximum cooperation against COVID-19.

The TAIPEI Act, passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by Donald Trump, will not benefit the island. Taiwan is being used as a pawn by the U.S. to gain leverage against Beijing.

Territorial dispute over Paracel Islands in the South China Sea should be solved by China and Vietnam, which have overlapping claims. So why is the United States weighing in?

The world still has networks of science and health interests that do not necessarily require political or diplomatic blessing by a sovereign state. These may provide a surer path to a less worrisome future.

Although bilateral cooperation between China and the U.S. is sub-optimal at this moment, Beijing and Washington must not overlook other global challenges such as nuclear non-proliferation and arms control.

The shock of the combined global public health, economic and financial crises has far exceeded that of the world financial crisis in 2008 its subsequent economi